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The Carol Burnett Show (1967)

Television show featuring skits by Carol Burnett and her comedy troupe. Each episode would feature a variety of sketches, which would often parody stuff found in pop culture. Besides playing various characters Lyle Waggoner was also the Announcer from 1967 to 1974 when Ernie Anderson took over until the close. In 1991, a new version of the series was created (see the link below).

It was revealed years later that each week's show was taped twice in front of different audiences and the best parts from each taping were edited together.

After Jim Nabors appeared on the premiere episode, Carol Burnett would have him as the guest for each seasons first show because she considered him her "good luck charm".

The final episode of the series was a "best of" episode featuring highlights from the show's run.

At the end of the final show of the first season, Carol Burnett appeared as her "washerwoman" character, and walked out of the theater, every seat empty save for a bald man who had fallen asleep in his seat. In a touching gesture, she stopped by him, leaned over, kissed him on his scalp, and walked out the doors of the back of the theater. It was so well-received that every subsequent season ending, the scene was repeated with a bald actor in the audience. At the end of the last show of the series, she walked out to the back of the stage (amid the wild applause of the audience) and kissed a similarly "sleeping" security guard.

Even though he left the cast the previous season, Harvey Korman can briefly be seen at the end of the final episode as he is leaving the theater.

The Carol Burnett Show was taped at CBS Studio 33 in Television City. It is now referred to The Bob Barker Studio.

Although many consider Tim Conway to have been a series regular from the start, in fact he was only a frequent guest star for many years, and didn't become a regular weekly cast member until the later seasons.

The first five seasons of the series (1967-1972) are co-owned with Bob Banner, which is why the earliest sketches that were compiled for the syndicated "Carol Burnett and Friends" came from the sixth season (1972-73) onwards.

The print dress Carol Burnett always wore as Eunice in "The Family" sketches was an actual vintage garment from the 1930's. The sketch was originally to have a "Tennessee Williams"-type style to it, and costume designer Bob Mackie found it in a thrift shop. It was originally a long, sleeveless evening dress, which Mackie shortened, creating the "capelet" top detail by using the surplus fabric. The well-worn costume acquired many small tears over the years, and was patched from the inside with many bits of chiffon. At one point Mackie copied the dress exactly, using a similar fabric, but Burnett preferred to keep wearing the original out of superstition even though it had become extremely fragile.

Vicki Lawrence wrote a fan letter to Carol Burnett while still in High School, Carol received the letter on the day that Vicki was going to be in a miss fireball contest, having a feeling about her. Carol found her dad's number, called Vicki, and attended the contest. They talked for 5 minutes when Carol told her that she will keep in touch and they will discuss Vicki's Career. Vicki auditioned and got the part of Carol's kid sister and became Carol's protégée.

Lyle Waggoner was the only one who did not receive a single Emmy or Emmy nomination for the show. He left the show after the Seventh Season to do other projects such as Wonder Woman (1975)

Carol Burnett's favorite character she did was from 'The Family' Sketches; Eunice. Interestingly Vicki Lawrence who played her Mama was 16 years younger than Carol.

Carol Burnett surprised Vicki Lawrence with Gold record for The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia on the last show of the sixth Season.

Vicki Lawrence was extremely shy as young kid and still was shy when going on this show, it would not be until the 5th season that she started to blossom. Carol Burnett has stated this and will always show a clip of this during Q&A period of reunion shows. When during the first season, when Vicki was so nervous getting asked questions that she was almost buried into Carol

Carol Burnett was known to bring the writers down on the set of her show if she felt they did not give Vicki Lawrence enough funny lines. Vicki recalled that one time Carol did this and ask the writers to come down to give Vicki more funny lines and Vicki asked her "I do?" And Carol responded, "Hush Now yes you do." Carol also helped make a Emmy show for her and Vicki won a Emmy for it in 1976. This coined the term when Vicki said on her own TV Show in 1990s in response to Robert Wagner if she had someone who influence her and Vicki said "we all know who took me under her wing."

In The Family Sketches Vicki Lawrence was 24-28 years old playing a woman in her 60s.

Tim Conway improvised during much of his appearances on the show which would cause the other cast members - especially Harvey Korman - to laugh during taping. The cast breaking character became a popular part of the series.

Carol Burnett's trademark tugging of her ear was a message to her grandmother. Burnett's grandmother died during the run of the series but Burnett continued to tug her ear in every episode as a tribute to her.

Burnett ended the series even though CBS wanted to renew it for a twelfth season. Burnett felt that show had run out of ideas.

Dick Van Dyke was brought in to replace Harvey Korman for the eleventh season. But Van Dyke struggled on the show and left after three months.

Executive Producer Joe Hamilton had planned to spin off the popular sketch 'The Family' with Mama after the Eighth Year, but Vicki Lawrence turned it down as she was not sure that she wanted to play an old lady every week and she did not want to leave Mentors Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman. Carol Burnett was reportedly thrilled about this. There would not be a spin off until 1983, When Carol Burnett convinced'Vicki Lawrence' to do it.

In the beginning Vicki Lawrence would mostly do the Carol and Sis sketches and a few musical numbers because of her inexperience. When she felt that she was ready, she finally asked her mentor Carol Burnett if she could do other things, and she started branching out into other sketches.

Cary Grant reportedly told Carol Burnett that he would turn off the television when The Family Sketches came on as he found it too painful to watch.